Happy Father's Day! To a Dad who cooks!
Cendol by any other name would taste just as good, so call it Falooda, Es Dawet, Naab Vaam or what you will, it is simply an iced sweet dessert that contains droplets of green rice flour jelly, coconut milk and palm sugar syrup. Additional toppings might be added, including diced jackfruit, sweetened red azuki beans, or durian.
This is a highly popular dessert which would send some people hunting for the best roadside stall selling it! It is commonly found in Southeast Asia and is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and Myanmar. Cendol might have originated from the Malaysian port cities in Penang and Malacca where the British ships provided the ice.
To make real kickass Cendol, you're going to need quality, pure Pandan Powder. This is a yummilicious all natural colour Pandan Cendol noodles. Today's recipe is contributed by Jeff in Brissy who loves to cook and entertain his friends, and is now passing some tips and guidance to his son! He has created many delicious dishes with My Blue Tea's Spice Pantry Powders. Cendol is one fun dish you'd enjoy making with kids!
CENDOL NOODLE RECIPE
Ingredients:
*55 g – 45 g Mung bean flour – Corn flour *1/2 tspn – Salt *1 tsp – Lye water : 600ml Pandan water *1/2 – 1 tspn – Pandan Powder (diluted 60ml water – sieve if required)
Culture tip: In Javanese culture, Es Dawet is part of the Javanese traditional wedding ceremony.
After the bridal shower, the parents would 'sell' es dawet to the guests and relatives. The guests 'buy' es dawet using terracotta coins that are then given to the bride after the ceremony as a symbol of family earnings.
Did you know that the humble Cendol that is so typical and reminiscent of our childhoods has been declared a Malaysian heritage food by the Malaysian Department of National Heritage?
Method:
(1) Mix the ingredients and stir on low fire till translucent, approximately 5 mins.
(2) Once it thickens, turn off the heat and let it cool.
(3) Press the paste through a Cendol mould through icy cold water.
Tip: If you do not have a Cendol mould, you can press the paste through a metal colander.
Note: If you want a darker green, use more Pandan Powder or add 1 tsp Pandan Liquid Extract. The best part is it is all natural colour! No preservatives. No added fillers. #mybluetea #myblueteaau #cendol #CookMoreForLess
Celebrate a sweet Father's Day together with your family making this beautiful dessert!
Known as Cendol in Malaysia, Falooda in India and Es Dawet in Indonesia - they're all yummy. Add anything you like! Cendol photo was taken at the Malaysian Festival in Sydney with Sweet Rita Nyonya Kueh with an added tablespoon of Durian Latte Powder! Simply irresistible!
Another great recipe for Dad
About Jeff Tan
I was very 'picky' with my food when I was younger. What I mean by that is that my staple was fried ikan kembung or cincaru sumbat; give me fried eggs and cili padi with soy sauce and I was in heaven. I started cooking when I left home, Malacca, for work in Kuala Lumpur. In those days (1980s) I couldn’t find any good Peranakan food and decided to cook those dishes myself. It was definitely impressive during the early dating days and now at a later stage of life with my family and friends. Failure after failure I slowly got better and making dishes became easier.
My earliest experience in cooking was back in primary school where I got Maggi chilli sauce, sautéed it and threw in some shrimp. I brought it to school and a friend tried it. He commented, “Wow your mum is a good cook!!!”
As I became more confident, I began to realise that cooking is really not that hard and not necessary time-consuming unless your mother-in-law is a strict Peranakan. Then it is a different story. I find that a lot of people can’t cook, don’t want to cook or are afraid of cooking etc. With an abundance of good restaurants and the availability of fast food, it’s a no brainer. One cannot be surprised by the reasons behind the declining interest in cooking amongst most people and the younger generation.
Cooking is now made simpler with Youtube channels and readymade spices. I do prepare most of my cooking from scratch but have now found good readymade spices as a base. Some of these readymade are good enough outright; if you are too afraid to cook then try the readymade ones.
While I've expanded my menu over the years, the basic dishes are still food for the soul. I will always have time for fried eggs with cili padi and soy sauce and warm my heart with memories of mum.
Thank you Jeff, for sharing your beautiful recipes with us! Happy Father's Day to you!
Some delicious spread by Jeff from top left are (1) Ayam Goreng Berempah (2) Nasi Lemak with Chicken Curry (3) Ginger Crab and more Ayam Goreng Berempah - one of our best sellers.
Sources :